As a young boy Paul Nicklen moved to Baffin Island with his family and spent his childhood among the Inuit people. From them he learned a love of nature, the understanding of icy ecosystems, and the survival skills that have helped him become one of the most successful wildlife and nature photographers of our generation.

Acting as a personal guide, Nicklen takes audiences to the vast polar regions of our planet. His unique and very personal perspective on some of Earth's most beautiful and remote environments make him an inspiring advocate for the icy corners of our planet. With his trademark humor, passion, and optimism, Nicklen shares the stories of his work capturing images of life in fragile, frozen ecosystems.

Kobie Boykins: Exploring Mars: The Next Generation

Tuesday, August 13, 7:00 p.m.

A dynamic young engineer atNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Kobie Boykins is on the front line of Mars exploration. Boykins designed the solar arrays that power the Mars exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Landing on Mars on January 25, 2004, Opportunity was designed to survive a mission lasting approximately 90 days. Remarkably, the rover continues to traverse the surface of Mars to this day, sending back valuable scientific data.

Boykins shares his passion for space exploration by recounting the design and construction of the rovers and the story of their successful missions.

Bryan Smith: The Lens of Adventure

Tuesday, September 17, 7:00 p.m.

Have you ever watched a National Geographic film about some remote and dangerous place--and then wondered what the people behind the cameras had to go through to capture the action? Bryan Smith, an award-winning filmmaker for the National Geographic Channel, shares gripping, behind-the-scenes moments from his assignments to document extreme feats and high adventure in the world's most challenging environments.

An expedition kayaker who has paddled steep rivers in India, Peru, and Russia, Smith was inspired to take up cinematography while protesting a hydroelectric dam project that threatened rivers near his home in British Columbia.

Tim Laman and Ed Scholes: Birds of Paradise

Tuesday, October 8, 7:00 p.m.

Tim Laman has earned a reputation for capturing images of nearly impossible subjects from animals that glide through rain forest canopies to some of the most rare and extraordinary birds in the world.

The birds of paradise, found deep in the New Guinea wilderness, are some of Earth's most exceptional, yet little known, treasures. Laman made it his mission to photograph for the first time in the wild all 39 species of this incredibly diverse group of birds. He and collaborator Ed Scholes studied and documented the birds in stunning photographs, videos, and audio recordings. On stage, Laman shares the challenges, discoveries, and adventures from 18 expeditions over eight years in search of these elusive wonders.